Support Groups

A diagnosis of celiac disease does not mean giving up all your favorite foods. It just means adapting them to be gluten-free. Many different gluten-free products, baking mixes, and recipes are available. A support group is a great resource for finding out which recipes and products are best.

A support group can help keep you up to date as well. For instance, a few years ago it was recommended that distilled vinegar be completely avoided on a gluten-free diet. Now we know that the gluten molecules do not appear in the distillate. Huh? What it means is that distilled vinegar is now an OK ingredient. That made a big change in the allowed foods someone with celiac disease could eat.

If you're part of a support group, you hear of these kinds of changes right away. A support group is also a great place to get to know other kids who have celiac disease and to learn that you're not alone.